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On May 2011, the EU Cookie Law was imported to the United Kingdom. What is this law all about and what does it mean for online users like you?

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a piece of text file containing your data when you visit any website. It is used by many websites to tailor-fit their browsing experience according to what you want, what you need, and what you’ve been searching for online

It’s not as rare as you think. Popular social media websites like Facebook and YouTube use cookies to show you what you want to see, and therefore creating more traffic for their websites.

The EU Cookie Law

The EU Cookie Law is a law which protects the privacy of online user online. It also repels unwanted online marketing. It mandates all websites to have a website cookie notice first before they start collecting cookies from your computer.

The law was imported to the UK on May 2011, and the government has given all website a year to comply with what it has mandated. On May 2012, all websites should have complied with what is necessitated by the law in order for them to avoid getting shut down. A website cookie notice should pop-up before you start browsing a website. Otherwise, they would have violated the law and could be subjected to legal prosecution.

Why Do You Need It?

You need the EU Cookie Law to protect your privacy online. Have you ever felt like you are being “stalked” because a certain website shows exactly what you want to see? That’s because of the cookies they have received from your computer. It should be within your rights to be free from that feeling. Before a website takes information for you, it is only right that they ask for permission first through a website cookie notice.

You also need the EU Cookie Law to protect you from unwanted online marketing. Today, where online marketing is at an all-time high, it cannot be avoided that websites would take advantage of cookies to try to show you what you want to see. It, then, leads you to action whether to visit the website or to purchase something from that website, consequently allowing them to generate more income.

It’s also important because it helps to lessen spam e-mails from your e-mail address. There are cases when websites would take your e-mail address and forward them to companies whose service they feel would benefit you. Spam e-mails are not only annoying; they may even pose potential threats to your computer.

The EU Cookie Law aims to protect you from all the risks that come with browsing the Internet. As website designers, we only want the best for you, and we want to protect your privacy. That is why we always make sure that each website we create has a website cookie notice, not only to comply with the law but also to make sure that you and your users are safe online.

In today’s cyber world, the internet users are exposed to a number of cyber security threats. Snooping and hacking, especially, have become increasingly common and online privacy has become a rare commodity. As an icing on the cake, the UK government introduced a bill named ‘UK ISP Internet Snooping Act’ last year which would now allow intelligence agencies and the police to snoop or hack into anyone’s computer. With mere to no resistance from the parliament or the common people, this bill ‘Extreme Surveillance’ is only one of the many reasons why the internet users need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in 2017 to get most of their privacy back. To educate you about VPNs and online privacy, here are a few essential reasons Why ShouldYou Use a VPN in 2017:

Prevention from Tracking of Data: The simplest yet most essential thing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) does is that it prevents your data from being tracked. You can safely surf the internet, make calls, send emails, and even use your social media account securely. A VPN also prevents search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo from tracking and saving your search queries.

Safety and Security on Public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi are always tempting because they are open and free. But these sorts of independent networks come with a number of cyber security threats, hacking, snooping, and data theft being on the top of the list. A VPN, on the other hand, makes the network secure for you to safely surf the internet and keep your data safe.

Bypass the Internet Censorship: Many countries including the UK place internet censorship as a crackdown on unwanted websites. But if you still want to visit such sites then a VPN would allow you to bypass such censorships and make the whole internet open for you.

Safe Uploads to the Cloud: If your device, be it a laptop or mobile device, has been snooped then whatever you upload to the cloud can be tracked and even stolen. But the use of a VPN secures all such uploads and brings back the much-needed privacy for all the internet users.

Private Downloads: If you download torrents but don’t want your ISP to be logged then using a VPN might work wonders for you. Because a number of law companies are always on the lookout for users who share content on the internet so that such law companies can accuse such users of copyright infringement. Most of the times, their accusations turn out to be false and baseless.

Prevention from UK ISP Internet Snooping Act: As mentioned earlier the post, the UK ISP Internet Snooping Act is a real thing and you would definitely want to keep your online privacy instead of giving it away to intelligence agencies and the police. Therefore, a VPN would keep you safe and secure.

Because Online Privacy is Your Basic Right: Finally, you must have a VPN because online privacy is the basic right of each and every citizen of the world. Happy surfing!

Looking to get a trusted Virtual Private Network (VPN) at a fair price?
Private Internet Access (https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/) is a VPN service that encrypts your connection and provides you with an anonymous IP to protect your privacy.

WHAT MAKES PIA GREAT

Unlike others, they keep no logs

On testing they performing as very well in regards to streaming as well as general usage

The Psychology behind Likes, Shares, Et Al

Ever noticed that when you log in to Facebook to send a mail to someone or set a reminder for an event, you end up getting lost in trivial tasks such as browsing notifications, liking images or reading silly posts? And despite your highest levels of dedication and awesome will power, you simply can’t help deviate from your original duties, right? Many at times, it also tends to happen if you’re doing something else and happen to come across Facebook. So, why do we find Facebook so addictive that we don’t mind wasting hours of precious time?

Well, according to various forms of research and experiments, experts have determined that our addiction to Facebook might not be an addiction at all, nor is it some sort of mystery anymore. There are apparently a variety of psychological and marketing tactics that get us hooked onto Facebook like sheep!

Researchers have indeed identified various trends in the way we perform major actions on Facebook. These include posting, sharing, liking, commenting and of course, stalking! They have discovered that there is a whole different level of psychology that goes into making Facebook the unending abyss of life that it is. Now, let’s take a look at the various aspects of Facebook’s psychology, so that we know what turns sensible web users into mindless trolls who continuously post, share and like stuff on the social media platform.

HTTP set to receive major update after 16 years with HTTP/2

The HTTP protocol happens to be one of the most fundamental and oldest elements of the World Wide Web and remains embedded in almost all the domains found on the Internet. However, it is set to receive an important update soon and the new version has already received approval. It is just a matter of time before the new update, officially named the HTTP/2 gets completely standardized. The update is the outcome of a lot of toil and research and has been in the works for numerous years. Upon its widespread adoption, the HTTP protocol will no longer be in use and will effectively be replaced by the HTTP/2 which is directly going to affect all the users on the Internet. No fixed date for the implementation of the new update has been announced and it could be months or even years before this new protocol becomes widely adopted throughout the globe. However, there is no doubt that when the HTTP protocol does get updated, it is going to set the stage for a quicker, more secure and more robust Internet experience for the users.

The development of the new HTTP/2 protocol can be credited to the IETF HTTP Working Group as well as Mark Nottingham, who happens to be the chairman of the group. The latter stated in his blog that the standard for the new update has been finalized and all that it is left is to go through the tiresome editorial process before it can be published all over the Internet.

Word around the Internet is that Google had an important role to play in the process of development for the new protocol. There are several reports which suggest that even though the main developer of the HTTP/2 protocol is the IETP HTTP Working Group, the foundation of the new protocol is the SPDY protocol introduced by Google, which results in more efficient and smoother communication between the server and the client, thereby resulting in a reduction in latency and offering improved security features. Both of these factors are integral to the online browsing experience of the user since they contribute to faster load times of web pages. Continue reading Http 2 update

Apps have their place, but biz sites need long form information dissemination and complex sales decision not usually suitable from within a mobile app

The battle for relevance between mobile apps and web sites is officially “on”. There are those who believe that apps are the thing of the future and web sites have seen their best days. There are others who think that apps while useful don’t replace a commercial web site for useful presentation of complete information to visitors and sales prospects in an easily expandable manner.

The design of a website makes or breaks a company nowadays. It won’t matter if a website has a ton of useful information and is packed with features if the design is clunky. A badly designed website will put off prospective clients, especially with competition so high these days. The perspective of website design has changed from what looks good to what is easy to use. Usability and utility reign supreme, and everything else revolves around it. A well made website shuns superfluous, clunky elements and streamlines all navigation.

To properly cater to a need, first we must examine the need itself. Thus, first we will examine what the market wants out of a good website, what attracts it and what need we will be fulfilling. Customer behavior is our first focus. This will drive the basic principles we might adhere to when we design a website.

Customer Behavior – the shiniest guiding light for designers

Customers do not read or examine the full website on their first visit. Like a recruiter spending about 6 seconds on each CV, a customer merely glances over the website and navigates away from each page as soon as some outgoing link catches their interest. The new page is subjected to the same treatment unless it is deemed satisfactory. If it is, users go back to the page they came from and continue to scan it.

Most users are willing to bear advertisements and bad design if the website or webpage they are looking at is high quality. High quality content is prized, and this is one area you should not compromise on. Also, it is important to remember that users scan through web content, they rarely read the entire print. Thus, it is important to break up the text to make it easier for them to find the content they are looking for. Continue reading Unforgettable web design principles

The Internet is a vast network of virtual space, just waiting to be grabbed by enterprising businesses, who want to catch the eye of their target audience while extending their own reach. The Internet being an entirely virtual medium, is both an extremely useful and an extremely dangerous place. When choosing a web host, it is important, therefore, to keep a number of factors in mind. Make an informed decision, and look at the following aspects of your web host carefully before you take the plunge:

Price – the bank is where it hurts the mostThe first and most important aspect which most people consider, when selecting a Web hosting site, is to look at the price. One should not jump at the cheapest available host, but go into the details of the offer. Look at the various features that a particular host offers. Features like hardware support and non-outsources tech support cost money, and a site charging minimal prices will probably not be offering these services, which you may require for your web-site. Often the start-up price may be low, but the space you get may not be up to your needs. Therefore, it is imperative to first check if your requirements are being met by the host, and then compare prices between different hosts. The cheapest offer then available for comparative services should be the one which you decide in favor of.Continue reading Choosing a great web host

SEO, or content marketing as it is now becoming widely known, is slowly increasing in importance in marketing campaigns. With Google changing its authorship algorithms, and reducing authorship snippets by 15%, competition to produce the highest quality content has seen a huge markup. Thus, the quality of the content has started to matter as well as the level of SEO optimization it has undergone. As competition increases, the content has to be persuasive at many levels in order to persuade readers to buy what they are selling.

The essentials of persuasion

Persuasion techniques usually fall into set categories. They are –

reciprocity

consistency

social proof

liking

authority

scarcity.

First we examine reciprocity. Here, one has to offer someone, a client in this case, some of value so that they reciprocate by giving the seller cash or their interest in return. In a service scenario, the content producers are offering content that will enhance the life of the content consumers, and in turn get page views, reputation and other non-quantifiable services from them. Continue reading Weave persuasive SEO centric web content

Impressive designs are not enough to make your e- commerce website successful. If you decide to be smart and see what the successful ones are doing well, you’re sure to pick up some tips to improve your web store’s performance. In the world of online trading, innovations are always welcome, but the bulk of the impression will depend on just a few indispensible elements. When creating an e- commerce platform, or improving on one, business owners must think from the consumers’ perspective and ascertain that their website succeeds in delivering what the consumers precisely look. Read on to know the ingredients that can make your e- commerce flourish. Let’s spill the beans and tell you about the ‘indispensable elements’ that can eventually send the cash registers ringing with better customer conversion, retention and selling.

User friendly interfaceA website that’s difficult to understand, cumbersome to navigate and has way too many graphics and unnecessary pop ups on the page stands good chance of being rejected by users. By and large, your users look forward to online shopping because of its ease, time- saving and hassle free nature. Thus, e- commerce should help facilitate the process and this is possible with a site that offers quick navigation, filters for enhanced search, quick payment options and everything else that makes your users comfortable being on your site for long. Remember, the longer you make them stay, the more stuff they’re likely to buy from you, but the longer you make them wait, they’d prefer moving out. So it’s important to understand the thin line between making them stay with a friendly interface and making them wait due to the cumbersomeness of the page. The number of users who shop using their mobile devices is growing, so make sure your website design and interface is compatible and accessible fully with these devices. Continue reading The businessman’s web design guide

Bespoke – A Better Web Design For A Customized Web Page And For Benefits In The Long Run

Off The Peg web design is a leading company in the UK which is contributing to the field of web designing and development since the year 2001. The company uses only premium UK website hosting for all its sites and offers in house search engine optimisation and marketing campaigns. As Peg designs company offers customized, tailor made web design solutions for both local and national businesses, it is important to know why a customized web page has to be created to bring-in success to your business.

Why Is It Important to Create A Web Page For Your Business?It is well understood that today online marketing, online business, and online information search is the most popular tool available for almost anything, making the whole world a global village. Therefore, if a person wants to refer to a business, his first step is to search it up on the internet. There is no assurance to say what other people might post about your company or about related details. This is where the importance arises, as the first impression of a customer matters a lot. If you have a well-built website which provides all our details, the customer unknowingly builds up a trust, and from there onwards you gain yourself a potential buyer.

A landing page is often a confusing term where not everyone is sure what it even means. It is a specific page designed for a targeted purpose when a visitor first visits a web site, often following a promotion.

For instance, if a site owner buys a Google AdWords advert for the purpose of driving traffic to sign up to their email newsletter for more information about their products, then the ad should direct visitors to the landing page for the email opt-in and not directly to the home page.

A landing page should be designed with a goal in mind whether that is to build an email list of visitors, promote a product or showcase a new service launch. In this way, new visitors are carefully funnelled through to the focused area that the site owner wishes to use to get their desired outcome, i.e. email newsletter opt-in landing pages have higher sign-up rates that when visitors just arrive at the home page. Continue reading How To Create Landing Pages That Deliver

Flatize is a Responsive Fashion eCommerce WordPress Theme theme exclusive for a shopping site. We’ve happened to see many e-commerce websites with confusing images, and not sufficient customer usability. While your site is the face of your business, not only does it have to be convenient but it has to look good.

Zen – Responsive Multipurpose One Page Blog Theme

ZEN is a perfect WordPress theme for those who desire simple but bold and contemporary look, with attention to details and typography. It is suitable for corporate, agency, creative, or any general business.

ZEN is multi-purpose one page theme with a blog, it comes in 3 predefined colors, (green, blue and purple) and 3 different background options (slideshow, parallax and video). We have included easy to follow instructions on how to setup and edit, in no time you’ll have your site up and running. Continue reading Zen – Multipurpose One Page Blog Theme (Creative)